1. Field
This invention relates to a hand held tool for cutting and bending cable, heavy wire, rods and tubes. One arm of the cable tool has a roller mounted near the pivot pin of the tool and the other arm has a bracket mounting a second roller. A roller is also mounted at the pivot of the jaws. The tool may be opened to provide a straight line through the rollers for inserting a cable to be bent. The bracket and rollers can be removed, if necessary, for purposes of using the cutter function of the tool, where the bender components would hinder the maneuverability of the tool.
2. State of the Art
The prior art describes various types of tools for bending cable or the like, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,789 to Brook, which has two (2) spaced apart guides and uses a ratchet wrench function to bend cable.
Another cable bender disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,509 to Weber, describes a cam action surgical rod bender, but doesn""t describe a rod bender and cutter combination. The bender is primarily designed for use during surgical procedures.
Other prior art showing various bending tools are set forth on the Information Disclosure Statement by Applicant.
The present invention provides an improved portable tool for use in the field for cutting and bending cable and the like to fit in the various electrical boxes which require various bends in generally stiff cable, necessitating substantial effort to shape to conform to the confines of the electrical boxes, while at the same time accommodating cutting the cable to its appropriate length.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a cable cutter and bender, which can be maneuvered by one individual for cutting and shaping the cable to conform to space allotted for installing the cable.
Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive combination cable cutting and bending tool, which may be easily handled by an individual shaping cable to conform to the required configuration in an electrical junction box or similar application.
Another object of the invention is to provide a combination tool for cutting and bending cable to conform to the interior geometry of electrical junction boxes and panel boxes and maintain an easily traceable wiring pattern.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a combination tool for cutting and bending cables to conform to the interior geometry of an electrical junction box or panel box whereby the cutting function and the bending function are compatible in that a roller mounted at the cutting jaw pivot does not interfere with the independent functions of the tool.
A further object of the invention is to provide a cable cutter and bender tool in which the bender elements may be removed or replaced in the field if damaged with new parts, which are readily attachable to the tools thus avoiding the necessity of carrying extra tools to the job site and thereby decreasing any idle time of installers.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a cable cutter and bender adapted to bend cable to various degrees up to a ninety degree (90xc2x0) bend in multiple locations to readily conform to one hundred eighty degree (180xc2x0) bends and bends in different planes.